Stop Explaining, Start Storytelling: How to Make Your Point Stick

 

Suilin was organized. She had the data and the slides. At the time, her main objective was to onboard new users to GoogleMeet, and the dominant question she got from prospects was, “How is GoogleMeet different from Zoom?” Her go-to slide to answer this question had a list of key features that GoogleMeet offered that differentiated it from Zoom, and her talk track covered how each of these key features delivered amazing value (“The sound-filtering technology makes it so you never have to worry about your barking dog in the background.”)

But at the end of her conversations with these prospects, she always got the same response. The client nodded politely and said, "Thanks, we’ll think about it." She knew this was the most important moment in her presentation and what she was doing wasn’t working.

But here’s the thing: People don’t make decisions based on logic alone. They need to connect emotionally with your message —and use logic to  justify it later. That’s where storytelling comes in. A good story doesn’t just inform; it makes people feel. And when they feel, they remember. More importantly, they act.

Why Stories Work (And Data Alone Falls Flat)

Studies show that when we hear raw information, only the language-processing parts of our brains light up. But when we hear a story (a good one), the sensory and emotional centers activate, as if we’re experiencing it ourselves. This makes stories more memorable and persuasive than plain facts. Jerome Bruner concluded that we’re actually 22 times more likely to remember some information if it’s wrapped in a story because of its experiential nature.

Yet, too many professionals default to the same bullet-point approach that Suilin had, perhaps because that’s the way “marketing” phrased it in their corporate lingo or even just because it is the critical information. But when you rely solely on facts or data, there’s nothing that makes you more compelling than anyone else’s facts or data. To stand out and make sure your message lands, you need to use story to engage your audience.

Stories have a simple formula!

Most people think "telling a story" means giving more detail. So instead of saying, "We increased revenue by 25%," they say, "We launched a new initiative to fill a gap in the market and six months later it’s increased our revenue by 25%."

Better? Maybe. But still not a story. A story has a few key components to its structure:

  • Character - Who is this about?
    Suilin

  • Context – Who’s involved? What’s the situation? Sometimes, what are the stakes?
    Suilin’s job was to bring new customers to the Google Meet platform.

  • Inciting Incident - What is the specific moment that kicks off the conflict? What happens?
    Suilin was offered the chance to pitch a customer in a last-minute meeting… on Zoom.

  • Conflict - What challenge did they face?
    Getting ready for a Zoom call was stressful. She had to run around to make sure her dog was out of the way so he wouldn’t bark, that the lighting was happy so her face would be bright, that her files were all ready to share and organized in just the right way that she’d be able to flip between files quickly and seamlessly… her heart rate was up before she even logged in.

  • Climax - What is the specific moment when the energy shifts and the character moves towards a resolution?
    The next day, Suilin was invited to a similar last-minute meeting, but this time on GoogleMeet. Leading up to the call, she didn’t have to worry about her dog because of the sound filtering tech, she didn’t have to worry about the lighting because of the camera auto-adjust features, and she didn’t have to worry about setting up her files because of how easy it is to share them through the platform.

  • Resolution – How did it turn out?
    Suilin concluded that Google Meet is so much simpler, which allows her to focus on the customer rather than the tech.

Leveraging a structure like this, and making sure you’re answering these questions forces you to go beyond just what happened, and make sure you’re painting a picture your audience can follow, highlighting a relatable character to bring the story to life, and including the right details which drive your point home.

Tell a Story That Lands Your Point

There’s one final detail that’s important about your story if you want to use it to land a point: your story has to have a point… and that point better be crystal clear. Often presentations have several points that ladder up to a key takeaway. An easy way to build in stories is to highlight each of your points with a story that brings it to life. In Suilin’s case, she ultimately crafted her story to be the answer to a question she expected in her Q&A. Wherever you want your point heard, that’s where you should build a story.

When in Doubt, Story It Out

Whether you’re selling a product, pitching an idea, or persuading leadership, don’t just describe—story it out. Facts inform, but stories persuade. The next time you need to persuade someone, ditch the data dump and use stories instead.


If you’re looking for more information, check out the following resources:

 
ArticleStephanie Juddstorytelling, sales, presentations, communication, story structureComment